Extraordinary Performances at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

While the design tactics and systems of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies are well documented, its performance remains less explored. Based upon extended in situ observation, I present an account of the building in terms of its day-to-day performances as well as cumulative evidence of its performance over its forty-year history. Contrary to accounts that focus on the building's extraordinary qualities, this article argues that in the end, it is ordinary details and systems that engender its most consequential performances. Central to this account is an approach that integrates organizational, technical, and aesthetic performance parameters for a polyvalent understanding of performance in architecture.